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Anaconda Deer Lodge County task force urged to develop deer-management plan after report on overpopulation
Summary
The Urban Wildlife Task Force presented a report showing a habituated deer population in Anaconda and urged the county to develop a plan—covering public education, enforcement of the state feeding statute, and a culling/trapping plan for FWP review—with Fish, Wildlife & Parks offering technical help.
The Anaconda Deer Lodge County Urban Wildlife Task Force presented findings and recommendations to the county commission, urging development of a formal deer-management plan to address a local, year-round, habituated deer population that task-force members and commissioners said exceeds sustainable carrying capacity.
The task-force chair (introduced to the commission before the presentation) summarized recent counts and recommended a mix of public education, enforcement of the state law that prohibits providing forage to wild animals, planning for capture/euthanasia or other removal options, and ongoing deer counts to measure results. Commissioners and task-force members noted that prior counts showed roughly 185–200 deer in town, a figure they said is “more than twice what Fish, Wildlife & Parks deems to be the healthy number per square mile” for comparable areas.
FWP biologist Kirsty Nader told the commission that feeding common household food to deer can cause severe digestive damage and malnutrition. “It creates an acidic environment in their guts … it actually turns their gut lining into a bunch of ulcers,” Nader said, adding that well-intentioned feeding can leave deer appearing fat while they are in fact starving. Nader advised that a locally developed management plan is the appropriate mechanism: the county produces a plan, FWP reviews and approves it, and only then can authorized calling/culling occur during defined seasons.
Commissioners emphasized near-term steps: public education campaigns, stepped-up enforcement of the feeding prohibition, involving the county attorney for legal matters, and tasking the Urban Wildlife Task Force to draft a plan for commission review and for submission to Fish, Wildlife & Parks for approval. Commissioners and task-force members also discussed nonlethal options, the costs and logistics of traps and staffing, the need for budget planning to buy and maintain traps, and the importance of measuring deer counts after education/enforcement actions to see whether populations respond.
Public commenters expressed mixed views. One resident told the commission that deer provide tourism value and urged nonlethal approaches; another asked the commission to prioritize child safety and said too many deer in town are a traffic and safety distraction. Task-force members noted a limited no-call window (mid-February to Aug. 15) and urged use of the off-season to finalize plans, apply for FWP approval and assemble equipment.
The commission did not vote on a culling action at the meeting. Commissioners directed the Urban Wildlife Task Force to develop a written management plan that includes options for education, enforcement, capture/removal where appropriate, funding and a proposed schedule for FWP review. The county will involve Fish, Wildlife & Parks and its county attorney in the plan’s preparation.
